Marin Clean Energy’s Virtual Power Plant: Valuing People Power (VPP 2X) project
Summary
SCH Number
2025040562
Public Agency
California Energy Commission
Document Title
Marin Clean Energy’s Virtual Power Plant: Valuing People Power (VPP 2X) project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
4/10/2025
Document Description
The purpose of this project is to reduce the cost and increase the uptake of energy-efficiency building retrofits and distributed energy technologies by residential, and commercial electricity customers. The proposed project will enhance Marin Clean Energy’s (MCE) enterprise-level distributed energy resource management system (eDERMS) software platform by incorporating advanced features such as automated and predictive controls. The platform is responsible for orchestrating the operation of devices that can be controlled for demand response by MCE, and these enhancements will enable optimized energy utilization, integration of a more diverse portfolio of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), and strategic participation in CAISO markets.
The alterations of existing buildings will consist of the installation of promising emerging technologies (including but not limited to photovoltaic (PV) solar energy, building controls, smart thermostats, smart heat pump water heaters (HPWH), electric vehicle (EV) chargers, solar inverters, home area network (HAN) devices, non-intrusive load monitoring systems (NILMS), and energy storage such as battery systems).
Utilizing the enhanced eDERMs platform, the project will expand to encompass all 37 MCE member communities, prioritizing the nine Disadvantaged Communities (DACs) within the "refinery corridor." This targeted approach will serve as a proof-of-concept for the potential of community-based energy programs to increase value creation such as reduced energy costs for the customer, reduced procurement costs for energy providers as well as the many benefits associated with improving grid reliability. To maximize the project's impact, MCE’s goal is to enroll a minimum of 3 MW of flexible load into its market-integrated virtual power plant (VPP). The project will also explore opportunities to enroll customers equipped with solar and battery storage systems, enabling optimized energy consumption and active participation in energy markets including CAISO.
Contact Information
Name
Brad Williams
Agency Name
California Energy Commission
Job Title
Project manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Address
Phone
Name
Alexandra McGee
Agency Name
Marin Clean Energy
Job Title
Project Manager
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Berkeley, San Rafael
Counties
Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Solano
Regions
Northern California
Cross Streets
Mission Ave and Tamalpais Ave
Zip
94901
Other Location Info
1 Cyclotron Rd
Berkeley 94720
TBD, East Solano County
Various locations
TBD, Solano County
Various locations
TBD, Contra Costa County
Various locations
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15301
Reasons for Exemption
The project includes the operation, maintenance or minor alteration of existing structures, facilities, mechanical equipment or topographic features consisting of the installation of promising emerging technologies including building controls, smart thermostats, smart heat pump water heaters, EV chargers, solar inverters, and battery systems in existing buildings and involves negligible or no expansion of the existing use under 14 CCR section 15301. The retrofits will consist of interior and exterior alterations to the existing buildings similar those which are currently performed on existing buildings in the normal course of maintenance and minor improvement and involve negligible expansion of use.
The project involves installation of PV solar systems either on the roof of an existing building or an existing parking lot and may include associated equipment with a footprint of 500 square feet consistent with Pub. Resources Code section 21080.35. No plants protected by the Native Plant Protection Act will be located on the site of the solar PV system and no native trees over 25 years old will be removed from the site.
This project does not involve impacts on any particularly sensitive environment; does not involve any cumulative impacts of successive projects of the same type in the same place that might be considered significant; does not involve unusual circumstances that might have a significant effect on the environment; will not result in damage to scenic resources within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway; the project site is not included on any list compiled pursuant to Government Code section 65962.5; and the project will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. Therefore, none of the exceptions to categorical exemptions listed in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 apply.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15306
Reasons for Exemption
The project consists of a technology demonstration and deployment implementation in homes, businesses, schools and community facilities by expanding distributed energy resources products and services to achieve 3MW load shifting. Throughout the course of the project data will be collected from buildings and other distributed energy resources that are recruited to be part of the project under 14 CCR § 15306 for Information Collection.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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